Aquatic roundabout.



No. 836,614.' PATENTED NOV. 20,1906.

I. SUTHERLAND.

AQUATIC ROUNDABOUT. v APPLwATIoK FILED MAR.5.1906.

' 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

I F! g -1- WWO: J6 J1me THE NORRIS EETERS co., wAsHmcroN, oz'c PATENTED NOV. 20, 1906.

I. SUTHERLAND. AQUATIC ROUNDABOUT.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.5. 1906.

2 SHEETS SHEET 2.

away 1 ISAAC SUTHERLAND, OF FITZROY, VICTORIA, AUSTRALIA.-

AQUATIC ROUNDABOUT.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Nov. 20, 1906.

Application filed March 5. 1906. Serial No. 304,334;-

To a, whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, IsAAc SUTHERLAND, artist, a subject of the King of Great Britain, residing at Cleveland, 7 Nicholson street, Fitzroy, in the State of Victoria, Commonwealth of Australia, have invented an Aquatic Roundabout, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has been devised in order to provide a novel roundaboutfor amusement purposes.

It consists, essentially, of an arrangement of submergible boats mounted on a convenient frame by which they are revolved and caused to. ascend and descend in a large tank containing water and having transparent Walls, so as to render the passage of the boats visible from without.

The invention will now be particularly de scribed with the aid of the accompanying drawings, whereof Figure 1 isa central vertical section of the roundabout; and Fig. 2, an enlarged sectional perspective view, broken, showing the operative mechanism.

By reference to the drawings it will be seen that the boats 1 1 each consist of a hollow water-tight shell with. transparent sides throughwhich the passengers may look and with a manhole 2, provided with a watertight cap or door 3, through which manhole the passengers may enter. The said boats are provided with seats 4 for the passengers and are preferably shaped like a torpedo that is to say, with conical ends-for the purpose of minimizing the resistance of the water, while the stern of each boat may also be provided with a loose propeller 5 for effect only.

Each boat is provided with means of ventilation and supply of air consisting of airshafts or funnels 6, projecting from the roof and extending to such a height that the months are well above the surface of the water when the boats are submerged to the fullest extent. Furthermore, in order to insure the safety of passengers in case of the mechanism getting out of order while the boats are submerged a supply of liquefied or compressed air is carried, which may be discharged at will by any of the passengers, and one or more large discharge-valves 7, Fig. 1, are provided and connected with the bottom of the tank T, by means of which the latter may be rapidly emptied.

are adapted to travel in or on a switchback- .track, which causes the boats to gradually ascend and descend in the water, and it is quite immaterial to the successful working of the invention whether said track is fixed to the bed of the tank under the water or suspended overhead within the roof or canopy 14 of the tank. I prefer the latter arrangement, however, for the reason that the mechanism is practically out of sight, and so the illusion is more complete. According to this arrangement the carrier-wheels 8 are connected to the boat 1 by vertical rods. 15 said rods being attached at one end to the axles 9 of said wheels and at the other by knuckle or pivotal joints 16 to said boat. The wheels are adapted to travel on a switchback-track comprising a pair of overhead circularly-fixed guide rails 17 17, situated one above the other and suspended by hangers or depending brackets 18, secured to the roof or canopy 14 of the tank or to any suitable framework overhead.

The guide-rails 17, which are parallel to each other, are formed with undulating in clines which cause the carrier-wheels, and in consequence the boats to be raised or low ered continuously during their rotation around the tank T and by this means alternately submerge said boats, under the water and raise same again tothe surface or out of the water, as may be decided upon.

The sleeve 12 and spindle 13 are squared,.as

shown in the drawings, so that they look tosleeve is provided with rigid radial arms 23, which are loosely connected by swivel-joints 24 with the sides of the boats. By this means the latter are steadied while revolving and are at the same time permitted to adapt themselves to the inclination of the track.

The switchbacktrack is so constructed that the opposite terminals of any diameter are on the same level. v 7 At certain points where the boats rise out of the water there are arranged platforms 25, reached by steps 26, as in the drawings, or by elevators, if preferred, from which ingress and egress are made through the manhole 2 of said boats.

The vertical spindle or axis 13 ofthe roundabout is mounted in suitable bearings 27 28 and adapted to be rotatedmechanically, and it is to be understood that the means shown-in the drawings, Which consist of an electric motor 29, adapted to drive a worm and -wormwheel gear 30 on said spindle, is only one suitable form which is preferred when an electric current is obtainable.

The operating mechanism is preferably contained within the roof or canopy 14,. and thus the only visible connections with the boats are the rods 15, depending from the carrier-wheels 8.

Having now particularly described and ascertained the nature of my said invention and in what manner the same is to be performed, I declare that what I claim is- 1. An aquatic roundabout including a transparent tank for receiving water, a pair of overhead circularly-fixed guide-rails arranged one above the other, hangers for sup porting the same, a rotatable spindle located centrally within the tank, a slidable sleeve on said spindle rotatably connected thereto and having arms, a series of hollow transparent shells forming boats having wheels for engagement with the rails, said arms having connection with the wheels carried by the shells to cause movement thereof, and means for imparting a rotary movement to the spindle.

2. An aquatic roundabout consisting of a plurality of water-tight boats, a transparent tank for receiving water, a suspended alternately ascending and descending trackway, wheels carried by the boats for engagement with the trackway, a revoluble spindle located centrally in the tank and having a vertically -'slidable sleeve, the latter rotatably connected to the s indle, arms on said sleeve cooperative with t 1e boats, and means for rotating the spindle for moving the boats.

3. An aquatic roundabout consisting of a transparent tank for receiving water, a series of transparent boats submergible in the water, an alternately ascending and descending trackway arranged above the tank, wheeled hanger members connected to the boats and in engagement with the trackway, a rotatable spindle, a vertically-slidable s eeve mounted on said spindle and rotatable therewith, arms extending from said sleeve for engagement with the boats, and means for rotating the spindle to cause movement of the boats.

4. In an aquatic roundabout, a plurality of water-tight transparent boats, a watertank, an ascending and descending trackway above the tank, frictional wheels carried by the boats and engaging the trackway, a rotatable means arranged within the tank, and vertically-slidable means carried by the firstmentioned means and rotatable therewith for engagement with the boats to cause movement thereof in two directions.

5. An aquatic roundabout comprising a tank ex osed to view, said tank having substantially transparent walls, and containing water, submergible boats within said tank and visible through the walls thereof, Iev0luble arms carrying said boats and means for causing said boats to ascend and descend in the water.

6. An aquatic roundabout comprising a tank exposed to view, said tank having a substantially transparent outer wall and containing water, a submergible boat suspended within said tank near said transparent wall, an overhead Switchback-track, carrier-wheels running on said. track, connections between said wheels and the boat and means for revolving the boat round in the tank near its transparent wall.

7. An aquatic roundabout comprising a tank exposed to view, said tank having a substantially transparent outer wall and containing water, submergible boats suspended within said tank near the transparent wall, an overhead switchback-track, the opposite terminals of a given diameter of which are on the same level, platforms in substantially the same vertical plane as the opposite highest levels of said track, carrier-wheels running on said track, connections between said wheels and the boat and means for revolving the bozht round in the tank near its transparent wa 8. In an aquatic roundabout, the combination of a water-tank having a substantially transparent wall exposed to view, submergible boats within said tank, said boats having substantially transparent sides, and means for causing same to ascend and descend and to pass near the substantially transparent wall of the water-tank.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand in presence of two subscribing witnesses.

ISAAC SUTHE RLAND.

Witnesses:

EDWARD NEEDHAM WATERS, WALTER CHARLES HART. 

